KICC reveals plans to hold religious services at 25 Church Road

Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) has told Croydon’s district centre investment manager Sharon Baldwin that it is ready to open up in the former cinema at 25 Church Road and hold religious services there.

Bussing in audiences

Last Thursday she told a meeting of the Upper Norwood Improvement Team that “KICC will be having services and bussing people in because its congregation is from far away. KICC intends to show family-friendly films, have a bookshop and coffee shop and allow the hall to be used by local community groups, as well as holding religious services.”

She also stated that KICC believes what it is proposing does not require a change of planning use. Sharon has suggested to KICC that it invites local residents and groups to view its plans.

No consultation

This news comes after 18 months of the Picture Palace Campaign (PPC) and local MPs failing to get a meeting with KICC to discuss its intended use of the building. Given the church’s reluctance to meet, we believe that KICC may be trying to use the building for exclusively religious purposes, a use which was refused by Bromley council in December 2009.

The PPC committee is extremely concerned to hear that KICC intends to press ahead with what would appear to be its original, unlawful, proposals for the building, ignoring Bromley Council and local opinion.

Other cinema proposals – our view

While other proposals for a cinema are on the table, specifically at the Grape & Grain/Bigger Picture Gallery site, these are a long way from fruition. 25 Church Road still remains the best site for a cinema in the triangle and the focus for the campaign.

What you can do

It may be time in the not-too-distant future to make your voice heard regarding KICC and its plans once again. The campaign committee will keep you informed and up-to-date on what is happening at 25 Church Road. Meanwhile:

Please be ready to rally quickly to stop KICC flouting Bromley’s planning decision and using 25 Church Road for religious purposes, thereby shutting out the local community.

Please spread the word and ensure that our local community’s voice is heard. Forward this email to friends and family, join our Facebook page Picture Palace Campaign (return a cinema to Crystal Palace) and [email protected] for more updates, and check the website www.campaign.picture-palace.org

About Cinema Campaign

The Picture Palace Campaign was set up on 24 June 2009, after a group of local residents, traders and ward councillors got together at the Royal Albert. The catalyst was the secret sale of the Gala bingo hall, 25 Church Road (originally built as the Rialto Cinema), to Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) a religious charity, which narrowly outbid independent cinema operator City Screen which runs Picturehouse Cinemas in Brixton, Clapham, Greenwich, Hackney and elsewhere in the UK.